I've been wearing a mouth guard at night for 4 years for the same reason. I noticed that one of my front teeth seemed to have become a little loose. Apparently I clench my teeth while sleeping and the bottom 2 teeth were pressing against the top 2 front teeth.

The dentist made a mouth guard which prevents me from clenching. I've never had any problem wearing it. He told me that some of his patients will remove it while sleeping but I've never had any issues with it.

Mine wasn't covered by dental insurance.

This post was edited by maire_cate on Thu, Sep 11, 14 at 18:10

I have four veneers on top, so to protect them during the night, it was recommended I wear a night guard. Been doing it for about 10 years , I dont think I could sleep without them now, I find them comfortable. I think I also clench my teeth, cause the guards have pretty deep grooves in them. I have replaced them once. Mine are covered by insurance every two years.

Right now I have invisalign but before that I have worn custom mouth guards. Get a mouth guard with a custom fit. When my invisalign is done I will need a new mouth guard.

I think we have a teeth-grinding gene in my family. My mom did it, I do it, and now my son does it. It wasn't a huge concern until I had a terrible bout with TMJ about 3 years ago. The pain was debilitating. Long story short, I now sleep with a mouthguard every night. The one I have was "custom made" by my dentist. I think the over-the-counter types are generally recommended only for the short term (I could be wrong). I don't think my first one was covered by insurance, but the replacement I got recently (the original one cracked) was covered...go figure.

I apparently grind my teeth too! I had a mouthguared made years ago by a dentist and I did wear it for a few years, but something happened and now I haven't worn it for about 5 years-I know-BAD! Anyway, it doesn't fit my teeth anymore, which scares me since that tells me my teeth have probably shifted from my grinding. I need to get another one made.

My dentist does the custom guards. We go to a husband/wife team and evidently the husband is quite the pro at this. I was told that the custom ones are much thinner and more comfortable. We have dental insurance and I'm pretty sure it would cover it - or at least a portion. I was having some issues with clenching, but no grinding. So, for right now, I'm not going the mouthguard route, but I will if I need to.

Apparently I clench too, but I have no pain associated with clenching. I'm 59 and a few teeth showed wear. Eventually you'll feel a little sensitivity when you bite. I had resin bonding this spring, and it looks and feels like my natural teeth. It wasn't very expensive, under $200 per tooth. My dentist mentioned a mouth guard, so I will need to ask on my next visit.

I tend to clench during the day, particularly at work. I ended up with TMJ as a result of a car accident and actually had to get surgery to correct it. The surgeon told me a trick to try when not wearing a night guard-it is to learn to flatten out my tongue so it fits between my back teeth. It takes some conscious practice, but if you do it consistently, it becomes second nature. You will not clench your jaws when your tongue is between your teeth! I find myself even sticking out my tongue when I'm really stressed.

I am so glad that you brought this up. Last month I started getting headaches and nausea. I thought it was some type of stomach bug. I now know that it is from stress and I am clenching my mouth. I don't think that I grind my teeth at night. I don't think I am clenching my teeth, but it is more with the way I am holding my mouth. I was wondering if a mouth guard would help. I haven't been to my doctor or dentist.

I have a history with this. About 20 years ago, after my mother died, I went to my dentist because I thought I had a tooth that was hurting. It turned out to be TMJ caused by clenching due to the stress of my mother's death, And ten years ago, I developed headaches due to job-related stress. I did not know that they were from stress. I went to a doctor who specializes in treating headaches. She said that the muscles in my neck were all tightened up. I went for physical therapy which helped get rid of the headaches.

This is the first time that I have had nausea with the headaches. It can be pretty bad. I have been chewing gum in an attempt to loosen up my mouth and watching relaxation videos. The videos actually help for a while, but then the headaches come back. I probably should go to the headache doctor before I go to the dentist.

After two gum surgeries, I found out it was due to grinding/clenching. I got veneers about 7 years ago and a custom mouth guard that I wear nightly without fail. I suffered from migraines for years, but after my bite was adjusted via the veneers and with mouth guard, they disappeared virtually overnight. I sometimes catch myself clenching during the day, too, but now I am aware of it.

Interestingly, my hygienist told me that it is estimated up to 80% of adults grind their teeth, but many are unaware of it.

Forgot to add the mouth guard was about $500, not covered by insurance. I am on my second one, but this one is a hard one. First one was soft. Hard one took a little longer to get used to-about a week.

Pesky - I'll have to try that about your tongue between the molars.

I called my insurance and got to speak with an automated person that I wanted to reach through the phone and punch before it was over! I never did get to talk to anyone. I'm pretty sure it's not covered.

It's $548 through my dentist. She said insurance usually doesn't cover it.

I have a call into the orthodontist. It may be cheaper through him. I don't know if they keep the mouth impressions though.

I'll have to get something temporary for now. I did take my retainers out last night and I'm happy to report I didn't notice the shift of the teeth like I was experiencing before. Hopefully the muscle memory is greatly improving.

I read a few people say they wore retainers with the Den Tek I linked to so I'll probably try that one first.

The mouth guard sounds like a good idea. Also, I've read several times over the years that teeth clenching can be caused by a magnesium deficiency, or an improper calcium-magnesium balance.

It really depends on your plans. Some plans do cover it because it is preventive for more costly dental work later. I am more of clencher than grinder, but as soon as I start to fall asleep, I clench.

Former job: 100% covered but needed pre-approval which was quick to get. But this was over 10 years ago. That guard lasted about 10 years, and I wore it every night. Seriously, if you are used to wearing one, you really can't not wear it because it's miserable.

Current job: covered 80% but needed pre-approval, and it took a few months to get it approved which was a huge pain. The dentist actually had to write a letter vs. just fill out a form. Then the insurance tried not to pay them because they said it wasn't pre-approved. I was so embarrassed from the start to the dentist getting paid it was 6 months.

Both times the guard was around $500-600 range. If it's not covered you might be able to use a flex account if you have it.

I have a mouthguard, purchased in 2010 for $230 - not covered by insurance. Prior to that I had already cracked 4 teeth which needed crowns. One had become infected. I wasn't aware of my teeth grinding at night. The mouthguard was far cheaper than the crowns! Not the most attractive, but definitely worth it.

I'm noticing that the mouthguard is starting to not fit the same. As I get older (now 58) my teeth are shifting.

My 24 year old son got a mouth guard last year. The dentist said he had ground his back molars done so far he has the mouth of a 40 year old.

I'd definitely get one to protect your teeth! You're young and don't want to wear down your teeth. One option might be the envisalign because they may protect your teeth from the grinding and help with your teeth movement.

I'd ask your Orthodontist what he/she thinks.

I would seek the advise of your general dentist, who will (most likely) consult with your orthodontist on how to manage your case. You have a common condition called bruxism (teeth grinding at night while sleeping). The dentist may suggest a nightguard while sleeping and retainers during the day.

Please do not buy a kit and self treat. Consider making an appointment with the dentist you usually see, who was out the day you were there.

Stress can be a factor. Many dentists suggest meditation, yoga and/or other stress management techniques. Most people benefit from these techniques.

Years ago I was having headaches and tension in my jaw from clenching and generally carrying tension in my jaw. I naturally closed my mouth and jaws tightly together.

My dentist sent me home with a large bright post-it note that said "Relax, don't clench". He told me to read this to myself morning and night and keep it in my head. Give it a few weeks and see how my jaw felt. I'll be darned! Minimal tension in my jaw after that time.

I still occasionally catch myself clenching and just have to consciously relax it. The dentist said that the sign usually worked with clenchers and grinders. Doesn't hurt to try!

Alisande - I'll look into that more. I have to get a physical for health insurance sometime soon here. I'll ask about it. About six months ago I was having muscle cramping issues while working out. The kinesiologist I see at times had me take Biotics Research Bio-CMP (combination of calcium, magnesium, & potassium in specific forms) and that helped pretty fast. I stopped taking it after the cramps went away.

Gscience - Oh man. I'm amazed at how much hoop jumping happens with insurance companies.

Hilltop - Since looking at reviews for the night guards I see how lots of people are cracking teeth. I was thinking it would only be around $200 for some reason. I haven't heard back from the orthodontist.

Caroleoh - Oh yeah, envisalign. My orthodontist does those too. I'll check.

Bonnie - I still think I'm going to see my dentist. Yes stress. My sister and I were talking today and she was poking fun at me about this whole thing. We were both laughing actually. My personality leans toward the serious side and I can be rather intense about things. It's something I'm aware of and just have to be careful to keep things in balance. There's the big thing that's been an issue for me but there's also a lot of tiny stressers that can sometimes add up. While I have no control over the big situation I can control my reaction to it. While it's not easy it can be done. I need to relax. I'm quite embarrassed even how I blabbered on in the opening of this thread. Instead of giving every little detail I could've condensed it in a few sentences. Oh well.

Rnmom - I catch myself sometimes clenching during the day too. Sticky notes are good. I think I'll slap one on my fridge.

Thanks everyone! I'll update when I know something more.

I clench and grind my teeth and have cracked more than a couple of teeth. It's 100 times less expensive to pay out of pocket for the guard than it is to pay out of pocket for implants.

I forgot the orthodontist office isn't in on Fridays. They called today and it's $200 for top and bottom. I ordered the Den Tek ones over the weekend so I'll try those for now, but I'll be getting the custom ones in the future.

My dentist has asked me a couple times if I grind my teeth, to which I reply, " I don't think so... My husband has never said that I do" My dentist was concerned about the wear on my teeth. I know my mom is a teeth grinder, and now she is having a LOT of issues with her teeth and bone loss. I have been paying attention more since my last cleaning and DO notice I am frequently clenching my teeth. I can consciously relax my jaw, but am concerned that when I sleep I will go back to clenching. No headaches or anything, but I am going to look into the mouth guard. I'd pay the 500 bucks if it can prevent the problems my mom is having now.

I am going in for a consult with my dentist next week. He's going to check for bone loss and look at my teeth. Still waiting for the Den Tek to arrive and he said to bring that along as well. I do trust my orthodontist, but he's going to retire in a few years . . .
I'm curious to see what all my dentist says. There were notes in my chart where we talked about wear, but I wasn't concerned at the time.

Count another one as a teeth grinder. I just went in for a cleaning and my dentist saw the small crack/chip in my front tooth. He asked if I bite my nails, I said no. He asked if I chew on pencils, I said no. He had me move my lower jaw back and forth and told me my teeth are a match and I grind my teeth at night. I said "no way". He said "yes". I was the last appt. of the day and we were so we didn't discuss options. I was still in shock when I left to think that I did this to myself. I asked my husband about it and he said he has heard me in my sleep grind. I yelled at him to push me, roll me over, anything if that ever happens again! Not sure what to do now. Guess I should look into a mouth guard.

Daughter just was diagnosed with TMJ. She is in a lot of pain. She is seeing a physical therapist for a little while and we will be getting a night guard or splint, not sure which one or what the difference is. Any suggestions to help her with the pain?

Hope you don't mind another country heard from at this late date.

I also clench. Not grind, just clench. HARD. I also didn't wear my retainers as a kid long, but evidently this didn't matter.

I've had 3 mouth guards to wear at night, and have bitten through all 3. I would also wake up with horrible headaches, but my teeth weren't damaged, because I wasn't grinding. Just clenching. "Just."

My occlusion also shifts frequently. Currently, my teeth only meet in the back, on the right. Last week, it was the right front/side teeth. Sometimes my teeth in back meeting have caused some serious pain, because of the force with which we chew. But I have learned to carefully chew on the opposite side and it goes away.

Dentist says teeth movement and occlusion changes are normal, but that the mouth guards should stop this. Ahh, no.

Either way, I couldn't live without my mouth guard. I wake up a whole 'nother person with it. and yes, it's a nicer person! Far from cheap, but an investment I will continue to make. For me, it's life changing.

As for Joanie's daughter? I don't think I'd be taking the advice of my PT without an orthodontist and/or a sleep study. There are many causes of TMJ. Even to the point of bone malformations that braces, wisdom teeth removal, and other things can cause or fix.

Thank you for your response CDFreeman. She saw her dentist, who saw nothing wrong, then a trusted orthodontist, who did a multitude of xrays and thorough exam and could find nothing wrong with her bite, alignment, ect. She referred her to a PT who specializes in TMJ. He has seen her twice, no real help yet. She does not wake up in pain, the pain seems to hit her in the afternoon and is the worst before bed, although it varies. It hurts, she says EVERY day, but on a bad day she is in tears. They discussed a disc that they think is off, evidentally where the jaw meets the scull, in front of the ear. But it can't be seen without an MRI. Molars are in enough that they are not the cause. They are saying it's stress related because she keeps very busy. But she does not indicated she is stressed or overwhelmed at all. Not sure what to do at this point. I'm thinking of stopping the PT since it's not helping and going to a physician that specializes in TMJ. Or perhaps I need to revisit the ortho to get a night guard or splint made. I don't know. They say she is clenching too. They say her jaw muscles are huge - in front of her ear from the clenching. If she is clenching, she doesn't know it.

Joanie - My SIL has braces back on her teeth from grinding/clenching/TMJ. She had braces when she was younger and her teeth are straight, but she would get horrible headaches and wore some type of head piece at night. The braces are supposed to fix this. I haven't talked to her since this post, but I will next time I see her. I hope your daughter can get some relief soon!

I went to the dentist. There wasn't anything terrible to see, thankfully. I should do something though. He went over the whole process if I were to have them make a guard. I'm not doing it right now mainly because I'm still wearing my retainers to try and fix that one bottom tooth that's turned a little. Since that's my goal, he felt I should hold off for now. He did check the fit of the guard I bought and felt it was good.

I've been wearing the Den Tek and really like it. It doesn't bother me at all. I wear it with both retainers even though the box doesn't recommend this. I actually didn't realize that until after I made the purchase. Several reviews said they wore it with theirs. I had teeth dents on it from the first night, but looks like it will last a long time and there were two in the pack.

This post was edited by sheesharee on Mon, Oct 13, 14 at 18:26

Shareware -Thanks for your response. I had not heard of the Den Tek night guard. Thank you for suggesting them. I looked them up and I like how they don't cover all of your teeth. I will order them for her. So glad you are experiencing some relief.

Heheehe Shareware. :) That made me chuckle.

I hope they work for her!

Sorry - SHEESHAREE!!! I'm tired

Shareware, er, ah, Sheesharee!!

Is Dentek a mouth guard, or retainer type thing? And do you know if they happen to come in sizes? Evidently my mouth is rather small (no one would agree to that much) and the regular sports mouthguards, even kids, are too big.

My mouth guards are exspensive and I'm wearing one that's about 3/4 around, because I bit through the one half. (Shift occlusion, right?) I'd love to find something I didn't have to pay $250 for. My dentist "gives" them to me at 1/2 price because I shouldn't be able to bite through them. But $250 is tough.

Joanie38, I wonder about spinal alignment too, after what you described. Our 1st 3 vertebrae don't have discs like our other vertebrae, which makes them not only more delicate and likely to be damaged or worn, but any misalignment can send people through the roof. Where they join into your head are the two that are fused.

I wish her the best, since she's so young for this. I hate it when someone tells me something's stress. Why don't they just admit they have no idea? It's like giving women valium for everything in the 60s. Gotta calm down while that cancer eats you up. But you'll be calm. (Sorry. Rant.)

Well CEFreeman, I found them online last night at Walmart for $28 with 2 in a box. That's cheap enough to give it a go, even though I try to darken the doors of that store as little as possible. She has a small mouth too and is not able to open it as wide as she is supposed to, I think she can only do 10mm? Anyway, I hope they work for her. I will let you know.
The disc I was talking about is in the face where the jaw moves up and down to accommodate talking and chewing. However, the PT has talked a lot about posture and how it can affect the jaw and how you carry your face in general. He wants her sitting up straight, teeth apart and NO daytime clenching (obviously). I'm hoping this night guard will do the trick because I think the PT has given about all he's got. He recommends massage, ice, stress reduction, ibuprofen, and muscle relaxers or clonazipan before bed if needed. I agree with you about the stress thing. Yeah they like to blame it on everything, particularly when they've got nothing else to offer.

Ha, Jonie it's ok! Made me think of Gladware storage containers and Share Bear.

CEFreeman - It's a mouth guard. I still wear my retainers from the orthodonist and it doesn't alter the fit. It is adjustable. The blue pieces have little groove numbers that slide. I use the smallest setting. Link attached. I couldn't find it local and also bought the two pack.

Here is a link that might be useful: Den Tek comfort fit

joanie~ i'm very healthy, but there was once in my life when i became unexpectedly quite ill. I weigh 125, but I completely lost my apetite, did not have a solid BM for over 3 months and lost 10lbs. All my lab tests were normal. Dr. asked me many questions about stress...was I considering divorce, what my family life was like etc. I was so offended as I didnt feel under any stress at all and was sure I had picked up hepatits or some strange virus. But when he realized that I was working full time on afternoonshift, taking 2 master level college classes and had 2 toddlers I took care of before going to work, the stress became apparent. There is more than emotional stress. It can be a physical type stress on your daughters body...too much work, lack of enough sleep. Maybe she is too busy...doesnt get the sleep she needs, or the nutrition her body needs. These things can manifest themselves in unexpected ways. Just something to consider. I hope she finds relief from her pain soon.

edit to remove double post

This post was edited by massagerocks on Tue, Oct 14, 14 at 21:58

Joanie--Where do you live? There is a craniofacial pain center at Tufts dentistry school in Boston that is terrific for TMJ. Unfortunately TMK falls between the cracks " of medicine, physical therapy, dentistry, etc. And as someone said above, it has many different causes.

Some of the things that a place like Tufts might suggest:

- A night guard, but one specifically for TMJ. They're different from the ones made for grinding, although they help with that too. The TMJ guards have a protuberance on top that holds your lower jaw in a certain position.

- Manipulative physical therapy. These are the folks who actually lay hands on you. For TMJ, the physical therapist snaps on some latex gloves and actually massages pressure points inside your mouth. There are several jaw muscles that are hard to manipulate and cannot be relaxed through stretching etc. This can be a huge help. (If you can't find one of these professionals locally, at least buy a book about trigger points.)

- Posture work. Someone can show you on a demonstration skeleton how a problem with back posture, shoulders, hips, knees or even feet can cause you to hold the jaw in a bad position. For example, tilt your hips, and y our shoulders have to tilt in the opposite direction. Then your neck tilts sideways to compensate. It's the way we're built. Computer work is a particularly bad offender when it comes to posture.

- Relaxation techniques. As someone said above, stress isn't a particularly good word here. You can be happy as a clam and get terrible neck or TMJ pain from working at a computer without good eyeglasses.

There is lots that can be done.

Marcolo, I live in Southeast Iowa. I purchased the night guard that was recommended by Sheesharee and she wore it last night for the first time. She slept well and it had a couple small bite marks in it when she awoke. I thought it was pretty cool that they give you a 30 money back guarantee if you do not like the product, and you don't even have to return it. We will give this a little time and see what happens. I think you're right about all those other components that affect this. The PT has addressed all of them but likely not at the level that a specialist in a large hospital would. Thanks for your comments.

Joanie how's your daughter doing with the night guard? Is it helping any? Every night when I put mine in I think how I've been wanting to ask that!

Thank you so much for thinking of her! She is actually much better. She will go this week for her last physical therapy appointment. She could keep going, but I think he has done about all he can for her. It is so much more than clenching at night, I've learned. It involves her posture, resting mouth position (needs to be apart), stress, diet, ect. Her mouth does not open as wide as it should so she is doing exercises for that. However, she has not had Ibuprofen for pain at home since starting the night guard, and only twice at school. Her jaw and neck muscles continue to be enlarged and tight. Her PT is recommending a splint to be made by her orthodontist. But I don't know if I will give the okay on that so fast. I want to give what we are doing more time since there is improvement.
PT is talking to a specialist he says this week hoping to get some expertise that he may not be aware of. i also found a book on Amazon that I think I will order for her called "The TMJ Healing Plan". It got really good reviews and I thought it may have some good info.
How is your mouth doing? I ended up getting the nightguard that you recommended so thank you for that! I love that they are adjustable. I filled the prescription for clonazipam but did NOT give it to her. I just can't get her started on a medication to relax her at night when she is only 12 years old. We will keep doing what we're doing.

I'm so glad the guard is helping somewhat. Hopefully she ends up never needing a splint from the orthodontist. As I was reading your list - posture, resting mouth position ... I was slouching and clenching. :) Diet? I don't blame you for not wanting to try the medication at this point.

My mouth is good now, thanks. I'm still wearing the guard nightly. I'm curious to see how long it lasts. I'm hoping to at least get three months out of one.

When I said diet, I meant food choices. We have eliminated chewy candy and foods that are hard to chew.

My pain started just last week. My dentist told me several years ago that I clench, my occlusion showed it, so I made a conscious effort to watch my posture at the computer, not lean chin in hand, and relax my jaw at bedtime. The occlusion improved. But entropy regarding the posture etc., and some recent stressors bought it roaring back, bringing stabbing pain with it. Utter misery for 2 1/2 days :[

A squeezed-in trip to DDS confirmed TMJ. He recommended restoring my posture etc., and adding a sport mouthguard...we like starting simple! If that didn't work, he'd make me a night guard, but we don't have dental insurance.

Well, he didn't mention it, but of course I visited here! I always learn something from GW! So, in addition to the Under Armour mouthguard and restoring my attention to posture and soft foods (mashed potatoes by doctors orders? Life is good!) , I added nestling my tongue between the molars. (I also found that about 3 ounces of beer with lunch saw me through the afternoon. Any more than that puts me to sleep, but just a little relaxed my jaw!)

After 4 days I woke up this morning from a full night's sleep and have had only one "twinge", a mild one at that. The techniques, including tongue in molars, are becoming habits. Hopefully I can keep it at bay.

I have been waking up with my jaws so tight that my tongue is somewhat suctioned to the roof of my mouth. What's up with that?! My jaws are sore sometimes also. I do the tongue trip sometimes, but once asleep that over. I go to the dentist Wednesday and will discuss with him. I did Invisalign 24 years ago and still wear an upper retainer, but not nightly. I also noticed a pocket in my gum next to a crown - looks to me like I will need gum surgery. :( I read recently that the later could be caused by dry mouth (mid 50s dryness, plus clinching?) Not fun getting older!